The integration that Google has been building for some time with its apps is pretty compelling. I think as Google+ gets more tightly woven into the apps, the entire Google Apps solution will be tough for organizations to ignore as a productivity apps/collaboration ecosystem (pardon that last expression).

I tend to agree with this take from the TechDirt blog - http://www.techdirt.com/articl... - arguing that those are generic terms of service that apply to all Google properties. So if you have a Gmail account or a Google Docs account, you're already operating under the understanding (right or wrong) that despite the TOS Google will respect the privacy of your private data.

Also, they overall TOS may be the default, but they don't prevent Google from offering higher levels of service for some products, or to paying customers. Certainly, in an enterprise context, it would be incumbent on the IT management team to negotiate appropriate protections into the contract. It might be a good idea to get specific agreement that the scary language you're citing does not apply.

I got some clarification just now on the relationship between Google Drive, Google Apps, and Google Docs, which wasn't clear to me.

When you activate Google Drive, it essentially takes the place of Google Docs in the Google Apps menu structure. Google Docs has actually supported the ability to upload arbitrary files for a while, but the 5GB free and the ability to synch between PCs and devices are new.

Users in Google Apps accounts (free and paid) get the same 5GB free as other users, but the pricing tiers for upgrading those accounts is organized in different tiers than for consumer accounts that add Google Drive. I haven't studied the pricing in detail, but on a per-GB basis, the cost might actually be a little more for Google Apps accounts. On the other hand, in the Google Apps world, that storage can be purchased by the admin for the whole company and then allocated out to users as needed, so it's a different animal.

As InformationWeek Government readers were busy firming up their fiscal year 2015 budgets, we asked them to rate more than 30 IT initiatives in terms of importance and current leadership focus. No surprise, among more than 30 options, security is No. 1. After that, things get less predictable.